All Four Paws

26/12/2022

Dog mum/trainer win!

Patience is key, last night Lenny put himself to bed in his crate. For the past few weeks since we got him, Lenny has protested going to bed every night. Last night was his Ahhuh moment when he clicked that this is my safe space and I need to sleep.

It took a lot of patience for a lifetime of a gained skill.

22/12/2022

Your puppy is not public property.

Yes just because he pulled towards you doesn't mean I want you to pet him. You see a cute puppy you don't ask you just do. Unfortunately you are now just undoing all my hard work training him. I was trying to train him to ignore you and ignore people in all situations but getting excited when you see him and bending to pet him encourages unwanted behavior.

So please ignore my puppy as I protect him.

07/12/2022

Does your dog know how to switch off? A lot of high energy and working breeds don’t know how to switch off from working/play mode. Providing a calm neutral energy space can help dogs relax and switch off. This then can be used outside the home to help decompress after a stressful situation, encounter or place where your dog need to chill out and relax.

30/11/2022

Bringing a puppy into your home, below is Lenny a 5mo working Kelpie, I liken him to a shaken can of coke, like most working breeds Lenny is 100kpm. The first three days Lenny is learning his boundaries in the house, what he can get away with and our routine. He is learning what is his and what is expected of him. As much as everyone loves a cute puppy, he has rules to follow to get what he wants that everyone even strangers have to follow. It may sound harsh but, I want my dog the best he can be in this world we live in.

10/10/2022

The the treat game helps get your pup into focus mode. Here they are using it to help aid in loose lead training.

12/09/2022

Did you know.......?
So you’ve got a herdy dog. A Border Collie, Huntaway, Kelpie, Beardie, etc etc. They need a lot of exercise, right?
So you head out to the park, ball thrower in hand and play fetch. Back and forward back and forward, with the dog getting more and more amped and fixated on that ball with each rep.
They might be temporarily falling over from physical exhaustion by the end of it, but their brains are more wired than ever. A quick rest later and they’re ready to go again, often crazier than when you started. You’ve created a dopamine and adrenaline addict who needs more and more to be satisfied.
🙅🏻‍♀️ Please, stop. 🙅🏻‍♀️
On a busy mustering day on the farm we regularly covered over 30km, double that on occasion. I made my farm dogs ride on the bike for as much as I could, but they still did at least double that again running back and forward, up and down the steep hills rounding up bulls and barking at full noise the whole way. So yeah, they are CAPABLE of a lot of exercise. If you’re running ultra marathons in the mountains at top speed maybe you could tire them out physically.
But the important bit about the working life IS NOT the amount of physical exercise they’re doing. It’s the work and the control around it. Left, over, push em up, get in behind, and the “oh s**t that bull is coming at me I better move out of the way” or “hey, mum missed that yearling - I better grab it”. They are thinking and responding the whole way. THAT is the bit they’re bred for.
Instead of straight up trying to wear your herdy dog out, think about the work they are designed for and give them an outlet for that instead.
🌟 Use a ball, but use it as an object to develop control around rather than a mindless back and forward high arousal activity. I trained a few herdy dogs their lefts, rights and stops for work and life using a soccer ball - if they can listen while a ball is moving, that’s a nice stepping stone towards control on stock or in other high arousal situation. A flirt pole or tug toy can be used in much the same way.
🌟 Use their nose. Put them in a down, go hide their toy or some treats out of sight then release them to go gather them back up. Without that visual target to be fixated on, they are forced to slow down and really think rather than it being a mindless game of chase.
🌟 Get them learning new cues. They’re bred to want to work with humans, so teach them some things you can do together. Whether that’s trick training, agility, obedience or whatever you choose. Use that magnificent brain.
🌟 Put them in a structured heel. They can exercise with you, but they have to engage their brains and think about where they are in relation to you.
🌟 In contrast to that, give them decompression time where calmness is the focus. Let them learn to exercise and sniff around without it needing to be a high arousal go go go thing.
Put your working dog to work and watch the magic happen.
If you’ve got a dog you want some help with, find a trainer!

Information courtesy of Farmdogz Rescue page.

09/09/2022

Training your dog for ten minutes a day can help improve obedience and tire them out too.

02/09/2022

Well said

Genetics create temperament and behavior is shaped by the environment including your influence.
When you have poor genetics the shaping of behavior becomes so much more VITAL. You have a puzzle to work through and when you near the end it will still be missing pieces. That is frustrating but that is life.
You chose the dog and the genetics that come with it. Choose wisely!
This is why we recommend pursuing getting a puppy from a reputable breeder. Reputable… That’s a talk for another time.
You MUST accept the pros and cons of the genetic temperament your dog has.
So if you have a high drive dog and want us to make it calm you have unrealistic expectations.
If you have a weak nerved dog and you want it to be social with everyone you have unrealistic expectations.
You have to work with what you have. Training is a major component but it will not rework the DNA.
Now if you are not willing to change and adapt YOURSELVES … well then we really can’t help you.
The relationship you hope to have with your dog starts with YOU.